Van Dijk was the villain for the Reds last weekend when he missed a simple chance from close-range in the 1-1 draw at Brisbane, but his second-half double was decisive in Friday's win over Perth.

"If you compare it to last week I was a bit disappointed, today it's the opposite," van Dijk said after taking his season tally to four goals.

"It's the worst feeling to be a goalscorer and to miss a chance that easy."

Adelaide coach Rini Coolen said he had complete faith in van Dijk despite his miss at Suncorp Stadium.

"He'll score his goals," Coolen said. "He was strong today, not only a terrfic goal, but also as a good holder, he was a good team player. He had a good performance today."

Van Dijk's first goal was delightful header which looped over Perth keeper Tando Velaphi to break the deadlock and the Dutchman was rapt with the finish.

"I like having crosses into the box and attacking it with my head," he said. "It was a lucky day for me."

He added: "We played good football, put Perth under pressure and I think the result is good for us."

"The season is still long. Every week it gets harder as teams are going to prepare for us as well, but we're up for the challenge and we want to show Australia we can play good football."

Coolen, who was delighted with his team's performance, went as far as saying that is was probably his side's best of the season.

"I think so because we're defending well. In the first minutes they had some chances and Eugene (Galekovic) did well," he said.

"But from that moment on we didn't give away any chances, we controlled the game and there was a lot of pressure moments that we did well as a team.

"The transition moments were great, we had good opportunities to score goals, so I think from everything, you can be happy for this game and we kept them scoreless.

"If you see the whole game together from the whole 93 minutes, then maybe it was the best game so far."

After an opening half stalemate, Coolen said he it was just a matter of the Reds continuing to maintain the high tempo they showed in the first 45 minutes.

"I told the players we have to continue the same way, the same mentality we had in the first half because I was really happy with the way we pressed and the chances we created," he said.

"I told them that if we continue that same way then our chances will be there."

League leading Adelaide's next match is not until Monday week away to cellar-dwellers Sydney FC.